


The Boys of Summer

by jorpheus



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Angst with a Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Multi, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:02:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29409501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jorpheus/pseuds/jorpheus
Summary: Also known as the Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe AU that exactly one (1) person asked for.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

Zuko woke up in a cold sweat with the taste of ash on his tongue from a vivid nightmare now receded into a hazy vision. He sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sweat from his skin, fingers feeling both smooth skin and scar tissue stretched taut across his face. A contradiction. He sighed and craned his good ear, his right, towards his door. He could hear Uncle puttering about in the kitchen despite the early hour. Zuko stood up, stretched, and exited his room, eyes focused on his feet in front of him, but head lost in thought.

  
“Good morning, nephew! I see you are up early, ready to greet the dawn. Any big plans for your first day of summer vacation?” Iroh inquired as he poured a second cup of tea, as if he had anticipated Zuko’s early morning appearance in the kitchen. Zuko sat down across from him sullenly, still occupied within his own mind. He knew Iroh wouldn’t press for a response, or even force one, and despite having lived with Uncle for two years, he still felt his face heat at the attention.

  
“You know what the problem with my life is? It’s that it was someone else’s idea. And now, because someone else had the idea, I have to then live out the idea and have ideas of my own, and what am I supposed to do with that? I don’t even have any idea about what I’m supposed to do with today, much less the rest of my life,” Zuko huffed out, arms crossed, staring unflinchingly at the cup of tea steaming before him. He reached for the cup, soothed by the heat in his hands despite the growing warmth inside of the house and the growing pit of anger in his stomach. Why was he holding onto so much rage? Why was he so unhappy?  
“While it’s wise to be in the habit of self-reflection, do not mistake reflection for introspection. Do not lose yourself in yourself, dear Zuko,” Iroh said sagely as he moved out of his chair and towards the sink to put away his cup. “I want you to have fun, make friends, be happy!”

  
“I’m never happy,” Zuko all but shouted. Iroh stepped back towards him slowly, as if Zuko was a skittish fire ferret.

  
“I know you have been through much upheaval and have built walls around yourself, but it's okay to let yourself be in and enjoy the moment. Let yourself have peace,” Iroh soothed. “That’s why I’m giving you the summer off from the Jasmine Dragon. No terrorizing the customers with your hot leaf juice! Besides, you’re 15! Go make some memories this summer.” Iroh patted Zuko’s cheek and walked towards the door, turning only to brightly smile at Zuko before leaving to open up his tea shop for the day.

  
Zuko was left in silence. He was left with a whole day ahead of him. He reached from his chair to the radio on the kitchen counter, turning it on in the hope that it would fill the silence. As he switched it on, a voice came on announcing the song of the summer, “Secret Tunnel” by the band Chong and The Omashu Wanderers was up next. The story of secret lovers filled the room as Zuko thought about Uncle’s words. He didn’t understand why he needed to have friends or needed to have fun, and why Uncle pushed him to put himself out there. Didn’t he understand that it wasn’t exactly easy to approach people and not have them back away or cringe when they took one look at the scarred side of his face? And what was going to happen when they looked beyond his face and got a look at his scarred soul?

  
As the song ended and was replaced by an equally inane tune, the house grew warmer. Leave it to Caldera City and its unbearable heat to be the push Zuko needed to get out of the house and not his Uncle’s advice. He made up his mind to take a trek to Crater Cove on the edge of the city. While he couldn’t swim, he could at least get some relief from the heat at the edge of the water.

  
Zuko left the house and began walking towards the shore, not quite enjoying the solitude, but finding peace in it. He noticed happy families playing in the park, groups of teenages laughing together, and even pairs of songbirds flitting through the air. As he spent longer in the oppressive heat, walking turned into a trudge, his thoughts turned to his former unhappy family. He thought about the face, the sister, and the mother he had lost to the flames. He thought about the father that had taken a match to it all. And more importantly, he thought about his uncle, the man who saw something worth saving, something he was searching and struggling to find within himself beyond the anger and hatred and pain. The man he felt he failed whenever he got into fights at school or screamed himself awake from nightmares.

  
“Ugh, Agni, what uninteresting summer this is turning out to be. So much for making memories,” Zuko murmured to nobody except himself. He tried to kick at a rock, but instead found himself tripping on sandy ground. He had arrived.

  
He scanned the shore, looking for a spot to sit near the cool, blue water. His eyes finally landed on a suitable location, and he walked towards it. Zuko took off his flip flops to sit on the shore, burying his feet in the sand, tide moving towards him. Once again, he was surrounded by duos and trios of people with wide grins and heads thrown back in laughter. He closed his eyes to meditate and “practice the habit of self-reflection,” or whatever Iroh had said, but as soon as he did, he heard a voice, one that seemed to be directed towards him.

  
“Hey!”


	2. Chapter 2

Zuko cracked his eyes open, and the voice spoke again.

“Hey, yes you! Hey!”

The owner of the voice was a boy around his age, around his height, with warm brown skin, and the bluest eyes Zuko had ever seen.

Zuko opened his mouth to speak and let out an “Umm, hey. Zuko here.”

The other boy waved his hand and said, “Nice to meet you Zuko. I’m Sokka. What are you doing sitting there?”

Zuko opened his mouth to say something, but what, he didn’t know. He promptly shut his mouth, cleared his throat, and tried again. “Oh...I, uh...I’m sitting here,’ he managed to get out. As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt his face flush. ‘You idiot,” his mind whispered, in a voice that belonged to a man who was long gone, ‘You can’t even answer a simple question.’

The boy, Sokka, just let out a chuckle. It was nice, that sound. Zuko felt like he kind of wanted to make him laugh again, if only to hear it once more. “Wow, you have like, the coolest voice, it’s so raspy and deep, mine is just annoying, as I’ve been so lovingly informed by my sister, and now I’ve gotten so far off topic. Right, you sitting, I can see that! That was a dumb question, let me try again. Do you want to swim?”

Zuko blinked. Did this stranger just compliment him and then ask him to swim? Like he wanted to be around him? What was this guy getting at? What did he want? Zuko felt compelled to answer with a yes by a force not quite his own, but there was a problem. “I don’t know how to swim.”

Somehow, the grin that was plastered on Sokka’s face grew even bigger. “I can teach you how to swim,” Sokka all but blurted out, so, so earnestly. 

Zuko had never met someone who seemed so open, so honest, so...bright? “Okay,” he said in a small voice, before his brain could catch up to his mouth. ‘Agni, I hope this isn’t a bad idea. It will at least be something to tell Uncle,’ he thought once he realized what word had slipped out.

Sokka moved out of the water and towards Zuko. As he did so, he pulled his hair, which just grazed his chin, into a wolftail, showing off the shaved sides of his head. While Zuko knew it was rude to stare, he couldn’t help himself. “Great! That’s so great! Thank you for saying yes, I promise, I’m a good swimmer. In fact, I’m on the swim team at St. Tui’s Prep here in the city. It’s the best part about my school. Not that I like my school that much, but y’know, that part’s cool…” As Sokka was speaking, he reached for Zuko’s hand to shake it. Zuko grabbed Sokka’s hand, noting just how firm his handshake was.

“Look, now we’re officially friends! It’s nice to meet you, Zuko,” Sokka said with a sort of reverence, as if those were his favorite words, the best words to leave his mouth. Sokka stood up, still holding Zuko’s hand, and gestured for him to stand up as well. 

“C’mon, let’s get started!”

_______________________________

Sokka, as it turned out, was a patient and thorough teacher. By the time the sun reached its highest point, Zuko had learned two types of strokes, and began learning a third. “Alright, easy there Zuko! Otherwise you’ll be a better swimmer than me by tonight, and I’m pretty amazing if I do say so myself, and I do,” Sokka said with a glimmer in his eye and a friendly smirk on his face, face turned to meet Zuko’s. 

“I just don’t want to waste your time, you are surprisingly good at teaching. You could, I don’t know, be making money at this? Should I be paying you? Do you want me to pay you for this?” Zuko shot out, a tad bit too tersely. 

Sokka just laughed. “Okay, number 1, I’m surprisingly good at this? You wound me, Zuko. And number 2, like I said, we’re friends now. And I’m just teaching my friend how to swim.”

“SOKKA, WE GOTTA GO! DAD TOLD US WE NEEDED TO GRAB SOME GROCERIES SO BATO CAN MAKE DINNER TONIGHT”

Before Zuko could turn his head to put a face to the shout coming from the shore, Sokka let out a groan. “Ugh, that’s my sister, Katara. I can’t believe we have to head out so soon. Hey listen, let’s make a plan to meet back here tomorrow! Same time, same place?” Sokka pleaded, eyes scanning Zuko’s face for an answer. 

“Uh, yeah. That’d be nice,” Zuko swallowed. He knew he should make more of an effort. After all, as Sokka had said, they were friends now. “I’d like that.”

“I’d like that, too! And tomorrow, I won’t bring Miss Party Pooper,” Sokka promised. 

“SOKKA, NOW!”

“Okay, now I really, _really_ have to go. See you tomorrow, Zuko”

“Tomorrow, Sokka.”

Sokka trudged back towards the shore and met a girl who looked remarkable like him. Same brown skin, same dark hair, and same confidence rolling off of her in waves. Sokka turned and waved at Zuko once more before skipping off. Zuko decided to head back to the shore himself to get back to the meditating he meant to do before his day got turned around. He took careful steps towards the sand, folded his legs and sank back, turning his face towards the sun. He closed his eyes and saw the bluest blue. He turned up the corner of his mouth in a slight smile. 

When Zuko opened his eyes again, the sun was getting ready to end its journey for the day. He stood and stretched his back, ready to go back home. As he walked back to his uncle’s house, he felt lighter than he had that morning, lighter than he had been in a long time. ‘Maybe this summer won’t be bad after all.’

He reached his front door, opening it to be hit with the scent of jasmine, oolong, and sweet cream. Uncle had beat him home. “Nephew! I was starting to get worried, where have you been?”

“Sorry. I meant to come home sooner. I went to the cove. I think I made a friend. He taught me how to swim.”

Iroh smiled at him, this boy who was growing into a man right in front of him. “That’s wonderful, Zuko. If you open yourself up to life, life will pass through you and pause to fill you up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here’s chapter 2! Thank you for the comments and kudos-I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! We're definitely getting into the MEAT of the story now. That being said, please keep an eye on the tags. I will be updating them as I get further in the story (which, if you have read AADDTSOTU before, you can prob guess what will be tagged in the future). Also, this chapter took me forever to write, but it's way longer than chapters 1 and 2, so enjoy!!

Two weeks passed by following the same pattern. Zuko would rise with the sun, have tea with Iroh, and bide his time until it was time to meet Sokka at the cove. Slowly, Zuko began to loosen up. He had a difficult time connecting with anyone, much less people his own age, but there was something different about Sokka. He seemed okay with Zuko’s standoffishness and filled his silence with jokes and sarcastic remarks, drawing laughs out of Zuko. When the sun began to dip in the sky, they would emerge from the water and head towards the nearest corner store, sharing seal jerky and fire flakes on the sidewalk before parting ways for the evening. On the fifteenth day of their friendship, Zuko woke up, had tea, and went to the cove to meet Sokka. As soon as he saw Sokka on the shore, he smiled, waved, and was met with an armful of the other boy. 

“Zuko! It’s so good to see you!” he said like he did everyday, as if he weren’t certain that Zuko would ever appear. “Okay, so, I know hanging around people isn’t really your thing,  _ but _ , my dad insisted that you come over for dinner tonight. Honestly, even though Katara has literally seen you before, I think my family thinks you’re like some kind of imaginary friend, but you’re real! Don’t worry, you can say no, there’s no pressure! But..I think it’d be fun if you came over.” 

Zuko was stunned. Sokka talked about him at home? 

“Yeah, okay. It sounds...nice. But can we stop at my uncle’s shop first? I don’t want to worry him.”

“Alright, yes! I’m so excited! Of course, yeah, we can go whenever! You, meeting my dads, and me, meeting your uncle. I believe we’ve reached the next level of friendship, dude!” Sokka gave Zuko another hug and a high five. 

Zuko let out a chuckle, “I guess we have.”

____________________________________________________________________________

After swimming for a couple of hours, Zuko and Sokka emerged from the cool waters to make their way towards Iroh’s tea shop, the two of them talking about everything and nothing. Sokka on Zuko’s right as if he knew about the weakness on his left. Sokka had not asked Zuko about the scar, but sometimes, Zuko caught him looking. Not staring, never in mockery or out of fear, but just looking, as if he could see through it and get at the core of who Zuko was. It made Zuko itch, and he shivered thinking about it as he meandered the streets of the city with Sokka. Sokka, ever perceptive, noticed.

“Zuko! Are you cold? Are those goosebumps? In this heat? I know you never ever look like, sweaty and stinky from this heat, but this is like, next level. It’s unfair that you are not oppressed by this heat like the rest of us mere mortals.”

Zuko was shaken from his introspection instantly and gave Sokka a wry smile and a playful elbow to the gut. “Well, I guess we all can’t be as talented as I am. But, in all honesty, I’ve lived in the Fire Nation all of my life. I’m just used to it.”

Sokka shook his head. “I will never, ever, be used to it. As a proud member of the Southern Water Tribe, I can say, with all certainty, that extreme cold is so much better than extreme heat. The first year that Dad worked at the university was the worst. I thought I would turn into a puddle of Sokka soup and I really missed home.”

At this, Sokka’s expression was unreadable, his back slightly hunched. Unknowable. Zuko had never seen him look like that. He realized that there was so much about the other boy that he didn’t know about, and he had yet to get to know. ‘If you were really his friend, you would have asked questions to show some interest,’ a still, small voice said in the back of his mind. ‘No, to really  _ be _ his friend, you should ask,’ said another voice, stiller and smaller still. Zuko turned and looked at Sokka, trying to emulate the way Sokka looked at him, in an attempt to really try and see him. Know him. “Do you still miss it?”

Sokka straightened up and blinked, head tilted in thought. “I...sometimes, yeah. We usually go back in the summers to see Gran-Gran, but Dad got tied up in research, so we couldn’t go this year, which is okay. It’s different, going back. We haven’t lived there since our mom died, and it’s still home, but there’s something missing.”

Zuko nodded. “Wow, Sokka, I’m sorry. I...I know what it’s like. I mean, not the part about moving away from home, but, about your mom. I lost my mother, too. I’m sorry.” He kicked at a rock. ‘You made him sad, idiot! And you suck at being comforting, way to go, Zuko! What would Iroh say to Sokka? Not a lame sorry!’ Zuko’s brain so helpfully supplied after the fact. He wished he could compel himself to say more. To say something about how he knew how a great loss could affect you and change you, but he couldn’t bring himself to open himself up and show his vulnerabilities like that. He already said too much.

Sokka just stopped and gently grabbed Zuko’s arm. “Thank you. It’s still hard to talk about even though it happened a long time ago. And I’m sorry about your mom, too. But I’m not sorry to be here this summer. That part’s good. It’s...good,” Sokka said, quietly, as to maintain the moment they were in. Zuko felt his face flush and looked every which way except Sokka’s face to avoid the intensity of the other boy’s gaze. Luckily, as he looked just past Sokka’s shoulder, he noticed they were only a block away from the shop, and tugged Sokka along.

____________________________________________________________________________

Zuko opened the door to the Jasmine Dragon for Sokka and was immediately hit with a cool rush of air. “Oh, Tui and La, finally some AC! I was gonna sweat to death,” Sokka shrieked. 

Zuko chuckled and surveyed the shop, noting the many customers sipping iced teas and lingering in the shop to get a brief reprieve from the heat and more waiting off to the side of the counter to pick up drinks. “It’s pretty busy right now, so we might have to wait for a bit before I can talk to Uncle. Do you want to order something?”

Before the words were all the way out of Zuko’s mouth, Sokka skipped into the line. “Yes! I’m so excited, I’m not really a tea guy, so I need some guidance from an expert.”

Zuko moved to stand beside Sokka. “I’m not really an expert. In fact, when I used to work here, Uncle said that I didn’t really make tea, just hot leaf juice. You know, I have a feeling that the two of you are going to get along well.”

Sokka grinned and leaned in towards Zuko. “Y’know, I’m kind of known for three things. Eating meat, being sarcastic, and being extremely charming.”

Before Zuko could reply, they were called to the register to order, and Zuko caught Iroh’s eye as he was taking fresh cups of tea out to the pick up station. “Zuko! And his new friend! I am honored that the two of you are here. Anything you want, on the house! Give me one moment so I can come over and greet you properly.”

Iroh dropped off the various teas and walked back to the counter, relieving the cashier of their duty temporarily. “So, you’re the young man who is teaching my nephew how to swim. I am his Uncle Iroh It is good to finally meet you,” Iroh said with a smile and a knowing look to his eyes. “I know my nephew can be a tough student. In fact, when he was younger…”

“Uncle!” Zuko cried, cutting Iroh off before he could be embarrassed by his uncle’s tales of his younger days.

“It’s so nice to meet you sir, and I promise, Zuko has actually been a great student! And thank you so much for the tea, your shop is really cool, especially that Pai Sho table in the back, do you play?” Sokka said, excitement palpable.

“I must insist, call me Iroh, not sir, that is far too formal. And I am impressed you noticed the table. Few know what it is. Besides tea, Pai Sho is my other passion. You should stop by for a game when it’s less busy. You can tell much from a man by the way he plays Pai Sho.”

Zuko cut in, “Uncle, before you have to get back to work, I wanted to ask, can I go to Sokka’s for dinner tonight?”

Iroh grinned, “Of course, dear nephew. And Sokka, I hope you know you are welcome at ours anytime. I’ll make sure Zuko invites you and your family over soon.” He winked over at Zuko, as if he were in on something, but what, Zuko wasn’t sure. 

Iroh prepared two iced peach oolong teas for the boys and sent them on their way to meander the streets and make their way towards Sokka’s house.

____________________________________________________________________________

As they walked the streets of the city, tea in hand, Sokka and Zuko fell into a comfortable silence, only to be broken by Sokka 15 minutes into the walk. 

“Iroh’s really nice! And he makes good tea. Thanks for letting me meet him today.”

Zuko shot him a confused look. “Yeah, he’s pretty great, but what did you think I was going to do, make you wait outside?”

Sokka let out a quick, almost nervous laugh. “I don’t know, maybe? Sometimes you’re aloof! 

Zuko placed his hands on his hips, playfully defensive. “I’m not aloof, I’m just…selective about the information I’m willing to part with.”

“You’re mysterious and you know it. Don’t worry, I’ll figure you out. Hey, turn left here.”

“Alright, here’s something to prove to you I’m not mysterious, or aloof, or any other synonym you can come up with. I can’t drive, not yet at least. But I want to drive a truck. A bright red truck. Just because I think it would look cool.”

“I have, like, zero interest in driving, or cars, but that would definitely be cool. Alright, it’s straight across from the park, the one with the blue door.”

Together, they walked towards the door. Suddenly, a pit formed in Zuko’s stomach. He had never been invited over to a friend’s house. He didn’t know what to expect. He felt his hands getting sweaty and thought about making a break for it, but before he could move, Sokka turned to him. “Okay, before we walk in, I just want to warn you about some things! Nothing bad! I just want you to not feel nervous or weird around my family, because you look like you’re about to bolt and I promise they won’t bite you. Well, Katara might, but just kidding, not really. Okay, number one, between Katara and myself, we’re loud. Number two, my dad and step-dad are both professors, but neither like to be called doctor when they’re at home, they think it’s too stuffy and formal and stuff. And three, my sister’s boyfriend Aang is also going to be here, so you’ll get to meet him too!”

Zuko nodded slowly and thought to himself, ‘what did I get myself into?’ But before he could give himself an answer Sokka opened the door. “Dad, Bato, Katara, I’m home. With Zuko.” 

Four sets of feet scurried to the door, filling the house with noise. Two men, both tall, muscular, and with dark hair slightly longer than Sokka’s own emerged, followed by Katara and a boy with no hair, but blue tattoos on his head. 

“Zuko, it’s so nice to meet you. We’ve heard a lot about you. Welcome to our home,” greeted the man that shared Sokka’s eyes. He was dressed in slacks and a neatly ironed shirt, but his hair was up and he donned an apron that said ‘kiss the cook.’ “I’m Hakoda, Sokka and Katara’s father, and this is my husband, Bato.”

Zuko shook Hakoda’s hand, then Bato’s. “It’s nice to meet you both. Thank you for inviting me.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Zuko. We look forward to getting to know you more,” replied the other man, Bato. Whereas Hakoda seemed softer, warmer, Bato seemed more serious. Perhaps he was a little apprehensive about Zuko. 

“Bato, you can’t interrogate him yet, I haven’t even had a chance!” Katara giggled. “Hi Zuko, it’s good to officially meet you. Sokka won’t shut up about you. It’s honestly annoying. And this is Aang, my boyfriend.”

A voice, nearly as jovial as Sokka’s, piped up. “Hi, I’m Aang! It’s nice to meet you! I’m really glad you’re here, Zuko.”

Zuko felt overwhelmed by all of the attention on him, four pairs of eyes unblinking, trained on his face. “Uhhh, thank you. I’m, uh, happy to be here,” he stuttered out. 

“Alright, now we all know each other. I’m taking Zuko up to my room before dinner,” Sokka said, already dragging Zuko along behind him. 

“Make sure to clean that moo-sow sty you call a room, son!” called Hakoda. 

“It’s not really that bad. There’s a method to my madness,” Sokka whispered as they clambered up the stairs. 

“And here it is! Welcome to la casa de Sokka. Here,” Sokka patted the bed, “come sit.”

Zuko sat on the bed and took the room in. There were photographs of Sokka, Bato, Hakoda and Katara, at home, bundled up in coats, having a picnic, and fishing, all of which looked more recent. But there were older photographs as well featuring a younger Katara, Sokka, Hakoda, and a woman. Sokka’s mother. There were also drawings done of landscapes and swords, which must have been Sokka’s as well. Trophies and medals lined the windowsill, books were packed on the bookshelf and stacked on the nightstand and in the corner. Clothes were strewn about the floor. It all felt like Sokka. Sokka shuffled around the room, tidying things up.

“Here, while I’m cleaning, read this. It’s about Master Piando, the artist and swordsman. He’s my favorite, well, artist and swordsman. I think you’ll like it,” Sokka passed the book to Zuko. 

Zuko studied the pages while Sokka cleaned, trying to learn more about the other boy. Each page, each picture, each medal, each article of clothing giving something away about him. He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn’t even notice Sokka suddenly sitting next to him. 

“Do you like it?”

Zuko was shaken out of his thoughts by the question. “The book? Yes. The mess in your room? No,” he deadpanned. 

“Haha, very funny. But really, you like the book?”

“I do. It feels like his art cuts through you. Like it gets at your core.”

“You should hang onto it! In some of the later chapters, it talks about how his work with swords bled into his art and vice versa. It’s really interesting.”

Zuko nodded. “Okay, I will. I didn’t realize that you were so into this stuff. Art, I mean.”

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. “Yeah. When mom died, dad put us in therapy, and my therapist suggested finding a creative outlet, and that was art. I write poetry, too!” Sokka grabbed at a thick notebook on his nightstand. “I don’t show anyone this though. It feels more, I don’t know, private? Intimate?”

Zuko nodded again, feeling like he needed to say something. “I think it’s cool that you stuck with art. And the poetry is cool too, I bet.”

Sokka gave him a small smile before they were called down to dinner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, big thanks to Mallory for encouraging me to write, and big thanks to all of you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> The in-universe equivalent to "La Bamba" is "Secret Tunnel" and nobody can convince me otherwise even though there is absolutely no reason for it. This fic is very much so self indulgent, and if you haven't read Aristotle and Dante yet, RUN to buy or borrow a copy. Thanks for reading, and thanks to Mallory for making me write this :)


End file.
